This article was previously published on GuelphToday.
An historic downtown bridge, which has been closed for years, should be removed and replaced with commemorative features as area revitalization efforts progress, city staff believe.
That’s the preliminary preferred option for Allan’s Bridge, which crosses the Speed River immediately south of the Macdonell Street bridge, in the area where Macdonell, Woolwich Street and Arthur Street all meet.
“Staff and our consultant team, we've done a review. We've looked at the various factors. We've made a preliminary recommendation and now we're looking for feedback on it,” explained Reg Russwurm, the city’s manager of design and construction, noting the project also involves the Macdonell Street bridge, the sluiceway and spillway below Allan’s Bridge and aspects of the cancelled Ward to Downtown pedestrian bridge.
“We've rolled that all into the package because we want to come up with the best solution for the community in that area around river crossings.”
An initial round of public consultation has already been completed. Stakeholders, such as Heritage Guelph, are currently being approached for comment on the preliminary preferred option and alternatives.
Final recommendations are expected to be presented to city council for consideration in October.
Allan’s bridge was built around 1930 but has reportedly been replaced since using the same footings. It's featured on the city’s municipal heritage register, indicating it’s of historical significance, but is not designated for protection under the Ontario Heritage Act.
In addition to full removal, options considered through the environmental assessment process include do nothing (keep it closed), minor rehabilitation for heritage purpose only (closed), and rehabilitate it for pedestrians and cyclists.
Removal is the least expensive option, estimated at $740,000, followed by minor rehabilitation ($800,000 plus $1.6 million in lifecycle maintenance costs), rehabilitation ($1.9 million plus $2.4 million in lifecycle costs) and do nothing ($2.9 million in lifecycle costs).
More than being the least expensive option, staff believe removing Allan’s Bridge would improve views of the Speed River from Macdonell and it would reduce the overall footprint within the river.
“Removal of the known built heritage resource can be mitigated through (a) commemorative strategy,” states a staff presentation to Heritage Guelph (HG), which opted to hold off on providing comments because of a lack of historical background information presented to it regarding the bridge.
The estimated $740,000 cost doesn’t include a plaque or lookout point where the bridge currently sits, Russworn told GuelphToday, noting that would be determined during the final design phase.
Turning to the Macdonell Street bridge, the preliminary preferred option is to replace the bridge and widen it on the north side to accommodate active transportation and to the south for a sidewalk.
Also considered were to do nothing, rehabilitate the bridge, rehabilitate and widen the bridge on both sides for active transportation and replace the bridge for vehicular traffic only.
Rehabilitation with an active transportation path on the north and a sidewalk on the south is the most costly of the options being considered, at $8.8 million plus $10.3 million in lifecycle costs.
Opening the bridge to vehicle traffic only would cost nearly as much, at $8.3 million and $9.5 million in lifecycle costs.
That’s followed by bridge rehab with active transportation on both sides, at $6.4 million and $13.1 million in lifecycle costs, and straight rehabilitation at $4 million, plus $12.6 million in lifecycle costs.
There is no specific dollar figure associated with the do nothing option, with staff simply noting it comes with “increased maintenance costs.”
When it comes to the sluiceway and spillway, the preliminary preferred option is for rehabilitation, at an estimated cost of $415,000.
“Once we gather all this input over the next few months or so, then we will be finalizing our recommendation and taking it to council.,” Russworm said. “Once (options) are endorsed by council in October, we will then commence preliminary and final design to determine how the intersections will function with those bridges that have been decided on.”
Final design is expected to begin before the end of this year and continue into next. Its anticipated project construction will begin in 2028 and continue to 2030.
Closure of the Macdonell Street bridge, be it a full shutdown or lane closures, is likely, Russwurm noted.
Allan’s Bridge options were presented to Heritage Guelph for comment in February, but members opted not to provide feedback because of a lack of information presented to it regarding the bridge’s cultural heritage significance.
During that session, senior city heritage planner Stephen Robinson told the committee there was no heritage evaluation report for Allan’s Bridge.
“Afterward it was discovered that the cultural heritage evaluation report that was done in 2022 didn't comply with recent formatting requirements under some relevant legislation,” Russwurm explained, noting the matter was deferred again last week. “Staff recommended deferral of this item until April 3rd so that the consultant could reformat, finalize the report.
“The findings of the report don't change … just like a statement of facts,” he continued. “The cultural heritage report doesn't make anything in the way of recommendations on whether or not the bridge should be removed.”